Looking back it in history it is certainly clear that the ancient Romans had their fair share of unwarranted pride, sadistic and crazed emperors.
There’s “The Mad Emperor” himself, Caligula who legends says made his horse the famous one “Incitatus” a government consul. There’s the frustrated artist who burned Rome to its grounds, went on a Cristian-massacring crusade and murdered both his mother and wife(As Per History Stated). And there is the son of the wise emperor Marcus Aurelius whose name popularised in the Gladiator film. He misruled and drove the empire to its dirt after 84 years of the peace treaty, gave Rome a new name, and imagined he was the God Hercules, entering the arena to fight as a gladiator or simply to kill lions with bow and arrows, it is simply the case that power without boundaries leads to immeasurable insanity.
The Mad Emperor with his famous horse "Incitatus"
Not as well known but may also be known as one of the cruellest emperors was “Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Augustus” who was also called “Caracalla”. There is no doubt that he feared the presence of God, didn’t harass any followers of a certain religion. In the year 212, he also granted citizenship to all free inhabitants of the empire. Which he could have done out of sympathy derived from his mixed North African and Syrian descent. But otherwise, he was a Tyrant.
The Slaughter of 20000 Innocents
All taken into accounts, he was a man of seeming contradictions: sensitive but hostile, well-trained and educated but shows hatred towards other people who are well-trained and educated, physically fit but habitually lazy to wear his own armour. At a certain point in time, he also idealized Alexander The Great to the point where he dressed and acted like him, and also wanted his statues and portraits to look brutal because it flattered his abilities to spread fear and terror. During the years of 212-217, he led brutal campaigns against the German and Parthian tribes. And he also sent troops into Alexandra to kill citizens for no reason at all.
He was a tyrant in his personal life too. He hated his wife Fulvia Plautilla at the time of their marriage because her father Gaius Fulvius Plautianus was an imperial guard. So, he murdered Plautianus and exiled his wife before having her murdered too. Caracalla's greatest atrocity, however, started from guilt towards Geta (his younger brother).
When their father Septimius Severus died in 211 right before his son started his bloodthirsty campaigns, Caracalla murdered Geta. But, he didn't stop there. He went after his brother's associates, friends, anybody who knew his or could find him. In the end, what began as a sibling rivalry, as historians analysed resulted in the deaths of 20,000 civilians.
Before Caracella could embark on another Parthian campaign, you guessed it right, he like many other emperors, was assassinated in a coup.
Guilt towards one another caused the lives of 20000 people, with Great Power comes an even more powerful thing Great Responsibility, if you utilize your power well you build a Great Empire, if you fail you will end up like Caracella.
Comment